


Soul Thread

by smexifelix



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-04-27 10:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14423136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smexifelix/pseuds/smexifelix
Summary: Benny enchants a stone to change color when he touches his soulmate. Little does Benny know, his soulmate is none other than his (very male) best friend, Ethan. When he does find out, well... let's just say he's not used to keeping secrets from Ethan, but he feels like he has no choice. Drama ensues.





	1. Soulmate Revealed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! There's not enough Bethan fanfiction out there! I hope you enjoy my addition to this underrated fandom.

“Hey, check this out,” Benny says, holding up his wrist by his face. Wrapped around said wrist is a bracelet with thick, braided, brown thread laced through two small holes on the edges of a flat, circular, grey stone with magic markings on it.

Ethan looks at it dubiously. “Wow, nice… bracelet,” Ethan says dully, soon distracted by something behind Benny, and Benny can tell what - actually who \- it is just by looking at the nervous smile on Ethan’s face. “Hey, Sarah,” he greets.

Benny rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but grins mischievously nonetheless, moving a little to make room for Sarah in the space by their lockers as she greets them. “This bracelet enchanted so that, while I’m wearing it, it’ll change color if my soulmate touches me,” Benny says.

Sarah raises an eyebrow curiously. “Soulmate?”

Benny nods. “Yep. According to my spellbook, everyone has a soulmate, and it’s like a match made in heaven - literally. Like our souls fit together like puzzle pieces. I’m destined to come across her at least once in my lifetime; and now, when I do find her, I’ll know for sure that it’s her.”

Sarah looks upwards with a thoughtful smile. “Hey, that actually pretty romantic. I mean, I’ve heard the expression, ‘soulmates’, but I didn’t realize it was, like, an actual thing.”

Ethan looks toward Sarah with a transparently infatuated expression, laughing awkwardly. Benny knows that he’s hoping that Sarah is his soulmate. 

Benny feels something unpleasant in his gut like he always does when Ethan looks so obviously in love with Sarah. Benny guesses it’s a protective instinct for his best friend. Sarah  _ must _ know how Ethan feels, but she doesn’t seem to feel the same way, at least not as strongly as Ethan does. Ethan deserves a girlfriend who loves him just as much as he loves her. Sarah might be his friend too, but if she ever hurts Ethan then Benny is going to give her a piece of his mind.

Benny bumps Ethan’s shoulder with his fist, nonverbally reminding him that he’s being obvious by staring.

Benny looks back at Sarah, who looks surprised and a little uncomfortable. Benny doesn’t know  _ why _ . Ethan’s been like this before. Is being his soulmate that bad of a thought? Is it because she’s immortal and he’s not? He really hopes that she doesn’t break his best friend’s heart.

“Anyway,” Sarah says, breaking the awkward silence. “I’ve got to get to class.”

Ethan nods, oblivious and lovestruck as always. “See you, Sarah.”

“You know, I could, uh,” Benny begins teasingly, subconsciously placing one hand on Ethan’s shoulder while he holds up the banded wrist to show it to Ethan. “Make one for you, too. Then you’ll know if Sarah’s ‘the one.’” Benny finishes the sentence with air quotes and a wink.

Ethan pauses. “Couldn’t you just lend me yours?”

Benny shakes his head. “No, man. The only reason the spell works is because I used some of my blood to enchant the stone.”

Ethan cringes. “Uh, no thanks. Covering a stone in blood isn’t worth finding someone who ‘heaven’ apparently wants me to be with.” 

What happens next happens so quickly that Benny’s brain nearly short-circuits afterward. Benny wants to tell Ethan that all he needs is a drop. Before he can, he’s distracted by wondering why Ethan would even think that he’d have to cover the whole thing, because the blood dissolved into the rock and you can’t even see it. 

Then he looks at the rock: the rock that’s supposed to be grey.

It’s red.

The rock has changed color from grey to red. That means he’s touching his soulmate. But, he’s only touching  _ Ethan _ . So Ethan is…

“...so I really don’t think I want to rely on a stone to tell me who to and who to not love, even if it  _ is _ enchanted. Actually,  _ especially _ if it’s enchanted,” Ethan says, and Benny realizes that he’s been talking throughout Benny’s epiphany. He’s been talking about how he doesn’t want or trust soulmate stones.

After a brief silence, Benny laughs weakly. “Your loss, bro,” he forces out, trying his best to sound casual.

“Come on, let’s get to class,” Ethan says. Thank god, he doesn’t seem to have noticed that Benny is  _ freaking out right now _ .

Benny takes a deep, subtle breath and follows Ethan to class. ‘It’s fine,’ he tells himself in his head. ‘I’m fine. Ethan’s right, it’s just a stone. And maybe I cast the spell wrong! Maybe…’

But something surfaces from deep inside Benny’s soul. He didn’t even realize it was there until it came to light. It’s like he’s lived inside an artificially lit building all his life, and now a curtain covering a window has been opened to let the sunlight in. Even this little bit of sunlight is startling like his instincts know that the UV rays have the potential to give him a sunburn or, if he gets close enough to the sun, even burn him alive. He doesn’t think this in so many words, but that’s how he feels.

Maybe the whole soulmate stone bracelet wasn’t such a great idea.


	2. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :) I'll be trying to post a new chapter each day. I hope you enjoy!

Benny is in denial. Ethan can’t be his soulmate, he thinks, because Benny can’t like guys. He forbids himself to. But, the harder he tries to hide his feelings, the harder they fight to be heard. 

Ethan can tell that something is wrong with Benny; although, thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have any idea what it is. Ethan probably thinks that Benny is upset because he “lost” his soulmate stone bracelet. In reality, Benny decided that Ethan  _ could not _ see it again. He nearly threw it away, but instead, he tucked it under his mattress, unable to bring himself to get rid of it.

Benny decides that he might just go insane if he doesn’t talk to someone about this.

“Hey, grandma?” Benny asks hesitantly. “Can I ask you something?”

“What kind of shenanigans are you up to this time?” Evelyn replies, looking somewhere between worried and curious.

Benny shakes his head. “No, it’s not like that! It’s just, I kind of found this spell that turns a rock into something called a ‘soulmate stone.’ It doesn’t say anything in the spellbook about it being dangerous or anything.”

Evelyn’s expression melts into reserved amusement. “No, that spell isn’t a dangerous one; at least not physically.”

Benny bites his lip. “Well, is there a possibility that a soulmate could be… like… a just-a-friend kind of soulmate?”

Benny’s afraid his grandma might be looking right through him for a moment. He really hopes her sharp intuition isn’t quite sharp enough to find out why he just asked that question.

“The definition of a soulmate implies romantic compatibility. However, it’s up to the soulmates themselves whether or not they want to be romantically involved,” Evelyn explains. 

Benny nods pensively. “Thanks.”

“And, Benjamin,” she adds, “I’ll still love you even if your soulmate happens to be, oh, a boy for example.”

Benny’s eyes nearly pop out of his skull. “I-uh-no-I-uh- I’m not gay!”

Evelyn puts an unusually comforting hand on Benny’s shoulder. She shrugs. “Girls, boys. Whoever you choose to love, all I care about is that you treat each other with respect.”

Benny takes a deep breath and swallows. “But what if… what if I don’t  _ want  _ to like him that way, but I do anyway? Is it the stone’s fault? Is there some kind of, like, spell or something that can reverse this?”

Evelyn has a sour expression on her face that almost makes Benny think she’s about to scold him. He shrinks slightly, but then her expression softens. “Oh, Benjamin, dear. There’s no spell that can make someone truly fall in or out of love.” Benny’s heart skips a beat when he hears the last word. “And the more you suppress your feelings, especially the complicated feelings that come with liking someone, the harder they’ll try to be heard. And those feelings can sometimes fester and seep out as things that will only hurt both you and the person you love.”

Benny sits with that for a minute, until Evelyn continues, “Now, I’m not saying you have to tell him how you feel. But, you need to at least be honest with  _ yourself _ . If you’re trying not to like him but you still do, perhaps that’s just more proof that your feelings are genuine.”

* * *

 

Benny has given in, no longer in denial about the situation. After all, his grandmother might just be the wisest woman in the world, so he decides that it’s best to take her advice (at least this time, when he doesn’t know what else to do).

He wonders if this is how a lot of people feel when they put on glasses for the first time. It’s like, he  _ knew _ all these things about Ethan, but he didn’t realize how they affected him. Have they always affected him like this and he was just ignorant or is he only feeling like this because he realized it was  _ possible _ to feel like this?

Benny can talk about geeky stuff like Star Wars and Harry Potter with Ethan. He loves how they can talk for hours even when there’s practically nothing to say and it’s still not awkward. He adores how Ethan’s brown eyes light up whenever Ethan gets a clever new idea. Benny has also learned to appreciate that whenever  _ Benny _ gets a cool new idea, Ethan may roll his eyes and make sarcastic comments that make it clear that Ethan thinks it’s a  _ very bad _ idea, but he still puts up with Benny and even helps him clean up whatever mess it may make. Ethan is a fantastic friend, and now Benny can’t help but wonder if he’d make as good of a boyfriend.

But Benny knows that Ethan is head-over-heels with Sarah. He stammers awkwardly whenever he sees her without expecting to, as if he needs to mentally prepare himself to even be around her. He looks at her as if she’s the most beautiful girl in the world. 

The uneasy feeling in Benny’s stomach when he sees Ethan swooning over Sarah makes sense now. Benny is jealous. Of Sarah. The worst part is that now his heart stings too whenever Ethan looks at her with those gorgeous, brown puppy-dog eyes. 

Benny wishes that Ethan would look at  _ him _ like that. But, as far as Benny knows, Ethan is completely straight. It’s not like he seemed enthusiastic about the whole soulmate concept, either. 

Part of Benny wishes he’d never enchanted that stone, but the other part of him is glad that he did. His feelings for Ethan are both horrible and wonderful, both beautiful and painful. His grandma warned him that suppressing his emotions would make them even harder to control, and he knows that it’s true, but acknowledging his feelings for Ethan definitely haven’t shrunk them at all.

God, he’s screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated!


	3. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who've supported me! I hope you continue to follow and enjoy this story.

“Alright, spit it out,” Ethan says.

Benny’s heart nearly jumps out of his chest, but he tries to cover his nervousness by chuckling and looking confused. “Spit  _ what  _ out?”

“You tell me,” Ethan says. “You’ve been avoiding me all week!”

Benny takes a deep breath. All week, Ethan has been giving him concerned glances and asking him if he’s okay and what’s wrong a few times a day. Benny keeps insisting that he’s fine, but he knows that Ethan can tell that he’s been lying.

Benny’s stomach twists uneasily. “I have  _ not _ been avoiding you!” Benny denies a little too loudly. “You need to chill out, dude.”

Ethan stares at him for a moment. Benny meets his eyes for just a split second before looking away guiltily.

“I  _ know _ when you’re lying to me, Benny,” Ethan says, sounding desperate. “You won’t even look me in the eye.”

Benny takes a brave breath before forcing himself to look at Ethan in the eye. Ethan looks hurt, concerned, and a little exasperated. Benny swallows, and he holds his breath when Ethan keeps talking, still looking him straight in the eyes. “Did I do something? Did  _ you _ do something?”

Benny wants to hug Ethan, to tell him he’s sorry for keeping secrets. He wants to tell Ethan that he loves him, and not in a brotherly way. Benny imagines, for an instant, that he’s leaning forward and kissing Ethan, but then he catches himself and rips his gaze away. “I’m just… dealing with some stuff. It’s private.”

Ethan lets out a slow, audible breath. His voice is soft when he says, “You know you can talk to me about anything, don’t you?”

‘ _ Almost _ anything,’ Benny thinks, but still nods. “Yeah. Just… I’ll tell you when I figure some stuff out,” he promises. It hurts him that he might not have the guts to keep that promise any time soon.

Ethan nods hesitantly. “Okay…” he says, sounding like he still wants to argue. Then, after a minute, he repeats the word in a more understanding, complacent tone, “Okay.”

* * *

 

“Ethan’s really worried about you,” Sarah says after pulling Benny aside during lunch. “I am, too.”

Benny sighs. “Alright, I admit it, I’m not fine - but this is something I’ve got to deal with alone.”

“Benny, I know about the soulmate stone, and Ethan,” Sarah says, and Benny freezes. “It changed color when you touched him. I’m surprised  _ he  _ didn’t realize it.” 

Sarah seems to notice how nervous Benny is because she offers him a comforting smile. “I want you to know that I  _ completely _ support you.”

Benny feels some of the weight lifted off of his shoulders, and he smiles in relief. Then he feels a twinge in his gut and his smile fades when he thinks about how Ethan would feel if he knew that Sarah was supporting someone else liking him. 

“Don’t  _ you _ like Ethan?” Benny asks cautiously.

Sarah blinks in surprise before shaking her head. “No, Benny, not like that.”

Benny has mixed emotions about that. “Are you sure? Because I really think that the two of you would be a much better match. I mean… I don’t think Ethan is into guys. I’m not even sure if  _ I’m _ into guys.” Although he’s completely sure, at this point, that he’s into Ethan.

“Benny, you guys are  _ soulmates _ . Didn’t you say that a pair of soulmates is basically a match made in heaven? Also, I mean it when I say that I’m not attracted to Ethan. He’s… like a brother to me.”

Benny bites his lip. “But Ethan… I’m pretty sure he’s in love with you.”

Sarah sighs. “Maybe. But... He’ll get over me, eventually. It could never work out between him and me, anyway.”

Benny leans against the wall. “I hope so…”

After a moment, he says, “I don’t know what to do. It’s killing me keeping secrets from him, but I think he’d freak out if he knew.”

Sarah opens her arms, non-verbally offering a hug. Benny accepts it, hugging her closely and closing his eyes. He really needed this.

When Benny opens his eyes, he sees Ethan walk out of the cafeteria. He’s only a few yards away. Benny pulls away from Sarah, anxiety eating his insides. He really hopes that Ethan didn’t hear any of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments and kudos!


	4. Ethan's Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to MBAV fan66 who's commented on every chapter! Thanks again!

Ethan spots Sarah and Benny talking alone in a corner of the cafeteria. They look unusually serious. Ethan can’t help but think that they might be talking about whatever’s been bugging Benny, lately. ‘But why would he confide in Sarah and not me, his best friend?’ Ethan thinks. ‘We’ve been friends since forever! And he’s known Sarah for what, two years? Two and a half?’

Unable to resist, Ethan approaches the whispering pair. He doesn’t mean to eavesdrop, not at first. But then he realizes that they’re talking about  _ him _ , and he can’t bring himself to make himself known.

“-not attracted to Ethan,” Sarah says. “He’s… like a brother to me.”

Ethan’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest. Her words echo in his brain.

Benny sounds unusually solemn when he says, “But Ethan… I’m pretty sure he’s in love with you.”

Ethan tenses. He isn’t sure if he should feel grateful for Benny backing him up or angry that Benny told Sarah a secret that wasn’t his to tell.

Sarah sighs. “Maybe. But... He’ll get over me, eventually. It could never work out between him and me, anyway.”

Benny leans against the wall, looking down at the ground. “I hope so…” After a moment, he adds, “I don’t know what to do. It’s killing me keeping secrets from him, but I think he’d freak out if he knew.”

Ethan holds his breath. Benny’s secret definitely involves Ethan. An uneasy feeling in his gut festers as his suspicions grow. Then, Sarah opens her arms out to Benny, and they embrace passionately. 

Ethan’s heart shatters in his chest with the final proof. He pivots on his heels and speed-walks out of the cafeteria.

‘Benny and Sarah are dating,’ Ethan thinks to himself. There’s no doubt in his mind. 

It must have started with that stupid soulmate charm. Ethan should have known that Benny wouldn’t lose something like that so quickly. Benny and Sarah must be soulmates. He was hiding it from Ethan because he knows how Ethan feels about Sarah.

At least Benny seems to feel guilty about it, but it’s no wonder. Ethan isn’t sure what he would have done in Benny’s position, but he still can’t help but feel betrayed. Benny could have at least  _ told _ him. They could have talked about it. But Benny humiliated him by telling Sarah his feelings. And, even if Benny and Sarah  _ are _ soulmates, Benny could have at least made sure that Ethan was okay with it.

Who is he kidding? Ethan would never be okay with it. He’s definitely not okay with it right now, and he wouldn’t be okay with it even if he found out a different way. 

Ethan heads to the bathroom without really consciously making the decision to. His body must know where he needs to go without him telling it. He locks himself in one of the stalls, sits on the toilet seat with his pants still on, and cradles his face in his hands. 

Ethan lets his tears fall, although he’s careful not to make too much noise. His chest shudders with each sob. His best friend and his dream girl, together… It’s almost like he’s lost both of them, he thinks. But then, he realizes that Sarah was never his. He pined after her for over two years, but he never had the guts to ask her out. So, in a way, this is  _ his  _ fault. Or maybe it was inevitable…

‘He’s like a brother to me,’ Sarah said. Maybe he and Sarah… just weren’t meant to be.

Ethan swallows down his sobs and tries to level out his breaths. Lunch should be almost over, now. He really hopes that his eyes aren’t too red.

* * *

 

Ethan  _ must _ have heard Benny talk to Sarah at lunch, or at least seen the two of them talking and hugging. Benny’s well-versed in the art of avoidance by now, and he knows that Ethan is avoiding him even more than he’s been avoiding Ethan. Forget avoiding eye contact; Ethan’s been giving him the cold shoulder. He won’t even respond to Benny’s sarcastic comments or small talk. Also, his eyes are a little pink. Has Ethan been crying? But why would he cry if he found out that Benny is his soulmate? He could be angry, sure, or disgusted, but - Oh.

Ethan must have heard Sarah say that she only saw Ethan as a brother.

At the end of the school day, when they’re by their lockers, Benny cautiously puts a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, which Ethan just shrugs off.

“E, are you okay?” Benny asks, and Ethan glares daggers at Benny, and Benny feels them pierce his heart.

“You know, I’ve been asking you that same question all week, and you haven’t given me a straight answer. Why should I give one to you?”

Alright, Ethan is  _ really _ angry. Benny can’t remember the last time Ethan’s anger has been directed at him like this, if ever.

Benny hesitates, barely able to open his mouth before Ethan cuts whatever he might have said off with, “I heard you talking to Sarah in the cafeteria.”

Benny’s whole body freezes and tenses, but then Ethan adds, “You’re going out with Sarah aren’t you?” 

Benny lets out a breath in a strange mixture of relief and disbelief. “ _ No _ , Ethan. Why would I-”

“But you want to,” Ethan retorts, his eyes still narrow. “Don’t you?”

Benny grunts in frustration. “No! And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t do that to you!”

“Then why’d you tell her I was in love with her?” Ethan asks desperately, and this time it almost sounds like a sob. Benny can see tears rimming Ethan’s eyes, and he feels like he could almost cry, himself. Ethan’s right: he shouldn’t have told Sarah, even if he was pretty sure she already knew.

“I’m sorry,” Benny says remorsefully, on the brink of tears. “I just- It just came out. With what we were talking about…” Crap, he’s said too much.

“What  _ were _ you talking about, Benny?” Ethan asks accusingly. “Because if you can’t trust me with whatever secrets you have, and if you go as far as telling  _ Sarah _ your secret,  _ and mine _ , then maybe I can’t trust you, either. And maybe we’re not as good of friends as I thought we were.”

Benny can’t think of anything to say. Ethan shuts his locker and storms off, and all Benny can do is watch as he walks away. 

How did he get here? Why does it have to be like this? What… What should he do, now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know and I'm sorry. I did warn you there'd be drama, didn't I? Stay tuned. I post a new chapter every day. 
> 
> I love comments and kudos!


	5. Stupid Cupid

“But, Erica, I love you!” a boy’s voice calls across the hallway.

“Stop following me, freak!” Erica replies. “I’m  _ way _ out of your league.”

Benny chuckles almost bitterly, shaking his head to himself. ‘At least I’m not the only one with unrequited love,’ he thinks as he watches a short teenage boy with acne and bulky glasses chase after Erica.

It’s been over two weeks since The Fight. For the first four or five days afterward, Ethan completely pretended Benny didn’t exist. Then Ethan finally started saying “hey” back when Benny greeted him, but he didn’t say much else. 

Sometime during the second week, they started sitting by each other at lunch again. But they’re still at a weird point where Ethan only responds to small talk, and Benny’s puns and funny remarks only get a small smile and a roll of eyes instead of Ethan’s usual, playful, sarcastic responses. 

Benny wonders how long it’s been since he’s heard Ethan laugh. He misses the sound and the beautiful expression on his face that comes with it.

Benny knows that Ethan is hurting, and he knows that it’s his fault. He’s been doing what he can to try and make it up to Ethan, but he can only do so much. His grandma says he just needs to be patient, but Benny wonders how much more patience it’ll take.

Something is strange, today. Half the kids in school don’t show up to class. Also, there are so many couples engrossed in each other, scattered throughout the hallway, that Benny has to double-check the date. Nope: it’s nowhere near Valentine’s Day. So what’s up? Is the whole school trying to rub in his face that he can’t have the relationship he wants?

Ethan rushes up to Benny with that look on his face like he’s freaking out a little. Benny is pretty sure that he had some sort of vision.

“Benny, we need to talk.” Benny’s heart speeds up against his will, but he quickly pushes aside any hopes that Ethan might be suddenly inspired to ask him out after seeing a bunch of couples making out in the hallway. “I had a vision.”

“What did you see?” Benny asks.

“Let’s find Sarah, first. Then, I’ll explain everything.”

‘Of course,’ Benny thinks to himself bitterly.

Perhaps misinterpreting Benny’s frown, Ethan adds, “And Rory and Erica, too.”

“Right,” Benny agrees. ‘Well,’ he thinks, ‘at least Ethan seems to be talking to me again.’

They find Sarah on her way to the cafeteria. “Hey,” Ethan says. “I had a vision.”

“Is it about all these couples around us?” Sarah asks. “Because, honestly, it’s kind of weirding me out.”

“Agreed,” Ethan says. “Where are Rory and Erica?”

Sarah perks up like she’s listening for something. Super-hearing is one of the advantages of being a vampire. “Follow me,” she says finally, “and hurry.”

They follow Sarah to Erica’s locker, where they see Erica hugging the boy that Benny saw her running away from this morning. The couple is arguing with Rory.

“Back off, blondie,” the boy says, “Erica is  _ mine _ .”

“Yes, I am,” Erica agrees before kissing him. “I love you, Reginald.”

“What kind of name is  _ Reginald _ ?” Rory pouts.

Erica scowls. “Don’t diss my Reggie-boo.”

“But you said you’d never date anyone shorter than you! Or anyone with glasses!” Rory insists.

Erica punches Rory so hard that he staggers back into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

‘Alright, there are three very obviously wrong with this situation,’ Benny thinks. ‘One: Rory’s right, Erica’s standards are higher than that (no offense, little dude). Two, there’s no way she’d change from disgust to such strong infatuation so quickly unless something supernatural was going on. Three, as annoying as Rory is, Erica has never seriously tried to hurt him.’

“Rory, are you okay?” Sarah asks, kneeling beside him.

“Guys, I know what is causing this. I had a vision that this sort of…  _ Cupid monster _ was shooting darts at people and making them fall madly in love with each other.”

“Love?” Benny asked. “More like creepy, possessive obsession. Does anyone else realize that half the school is ditching class? Probably to make out with whoever they’re love _ struck _ with.” Benny chuckles. Rory, Sarah, and Ethan stare at him. Erica goes back to eating Reginald’s face. “Get it? Like, they’re struck with a dart?” Sarah raises her eyebrows, fighting a smile. Ethan almost looks like he’s going to laugh until he apparently remembers that he’s still mad at Benny and he avoids eye contact instead. Rory laughs a few seconds too late.

“Alright, so how do we find this ‘Cupid monster’?” Sarah asks.

“Maybe Benny’s grandma can tell us,” Ethan suggests.

“Do you think anyone will notice if we leave school early?” Benny asks.

“Well, considering all these other students are ditching…” Ethan says, and Benny continues, “Maybe we can just blend in with the crowd.”

Benny can’t help but blush and avert his eyes when he realizes he just finished Ethan’s sentence - almost like a husband or wife would. ‘Damn it, Benny, stop thinking that way. Ethan is still mad at you and hung up over Sarah.’

Sarah nods. “You’re right. They can’t stop this many students from leaving school, especially when they’re understaffed.”

Rory chimes in, “You think the teachers are, like, making out with people, too?” Benny and he look at each other, exchanging disturbed looks.

Sarah and Ethan sigh in unison. 

“Come on,” Ethan says. “To Grandma’s house, we go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love input!


	6. Flamme de Fende

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many new comments! Thanks, everyone! By the way, I've decided to take Benthan requests: just give me a prompt and I'll see what I can do to make it into a story. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

“It sounds like you’re dealing with a flamme de fende,” Evelyn says.

“Flame fiend?” Benny asks, confused.

“Flamme can mean fire, but it can also mean love or passion. A better translation would be ‘passion fiend.’ Its venom makes its victims mad with desire. Humans, being the sentient creatures we are, take longer to calm down from excitement than other animals. This is particularly true with teenagers, whose hormones are the least stable. The flamme fe fende takes advantage of this.”

“So, it’s kind of like inertia, but with emotions,” Ethan speculates. “But instead of ‘what stays in motion remains in motion,’ it’s, ‘what’s excited wants to stay excited.’”

Benny loves Ethan’s nerdy comments.

“But, I mean, we get tired of each emotion, eventually, don’t we? Once it runs its course?” Sarah says.

“Not if you’re injected with flamme de fende venom. It gives people a kickstart to untiring and constantly increasing passion.”

“What’s so bad about that?” Rory asks. “I mean, other than Erica falling for the wrong guy.”

Evelyn has a sour expression. “Victims of a flamme de fende get so absorbed in the one they’re paired with that they neglect their daily responsibilities, and they get unusually angry when anyone interrupts their ‘bonding time.’”

Rory rubs his shoulder, where Erica punched him. It’s probably healed by now, thanks to his superhuman healing, but Benny thinks it must still hurt him emotionally. 

“That’s not the worst part,” Evelyn adds. “Eventually, the flamme de fende will harvest the flames of passion that it set alight, but only once the passion has completely consumed its victims' souls. If you let it get to that point, the victims will lose all their emotions, including their will to live.”

“How will we know when it’s too late?” Benny asks.

“Oh,  _ you’ll know _ . But it won’t be too late until it’s harvested the souls already. It’ll likely gather them together and harvest them all at once.You’ll have to find it and kill it before that happens. You’ll just have to get it wet, and then Benny can freeze it. Ice is fatal to flamme de fende. Once you kill it, everyone should go back to normal.”

“ _ All of them at once _ ?” Ethan says incredulously. “That’s a lot of people in one place. It should be easy to find.”

“I have a feeling I already know when it’s going to happen,” Evelyn says, pulling out a bulky yet small envelope. “I found  _ this _ in the mailbox.” She pulls out a card and a chocolate bar out of the envelope. Benny instinctively reaches for the chocolate bar, but his grandma smacks his hand. “Don’t even think about it. This chocolate is laced with flamme de fende venom.” 

“That fiend sure is thorough,” Benny mutters. 

Evelyn ignores Benny, continuing, “This letter is an invitation to a party, apparently sent from the school to all of its students.”

“Why wouldn’t the school just hand out these during school hours?” Rory wonders out loud.

Benny almost wonders the same thing, but he quickly puts the pieces together.

“I doubt the letter was  _ actually _ sent from the school,” Sarah says, confirming his thoughts.

Evelyn sets the envelope on the table, and Ethan picks it up. “‘A party to die for.’ Because that’s not suspicious  _ at all _ ,” he drawls. Benny chuckles.

“Alright, so we just have to crash this party!” Benny says.

“You realize you can’t crash a party you’re already invited to, right?” Sarah says, ruining the moment.

Benny sighs. “Fun sucker.”

“I think you mean ‘bloodsucker,’” Ethan corrects. Benny snickers.

Sarah gives Ethan an unimpressed look.

Ethan cringes guiltily. “Sorry. Too much?”

_ Benny _ thought it was funny. He thinks Sarah needs to lighten up.

“Anyway, we have a problem,” Ethan says. “It says ‘couples only.’”

Sarah ponders that for a moment. “How about I go with Rory, and you go with Benny?”

Benny really hopes that his blush isn’t too noticeable.

“Uh,  _ what _ ?” Ethan retorts. “We’re both guys!”

Benny’s stomach twists uneasily.

“And here I thought kids these days were more open-minded,” Evelyn says.

“Do you think there’s something wrong with boys dating boys, Ethan?” Sarah asks.

Ethan swallows uncomfortably. “No! It’s just…  _ I’m _ not gay! And I don’t want people to think I am. I think I’m enough of a social outcast, don’t you?”

Sarah looks like she still wants to argue, and Benny knows she’s trying to defend him, in a way. Benny feels grateful and guilty at the same time. 

“It’s fine!” Benny intervenes. “I’ll just have to dress up like a girl.” ‘It’s not like I haven’t done it before,’ he adds mentally.

The tension eases some.

“Alright,” Sarah says. “It says the party’s tomorrow night. I’ll come over here tomorrow morning to help you dress up.”

Benny releases a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. He tries not to think about the fact that he’s about to pretend to be Ethan’s date. Even if it's only pretending, the idea is nerve-wracking. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love input!


	7. Let's Freeze Some Fiend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Ethan can’t believe he’s going to have Benny as his “date” to the party, tonight. It’s just… _weird_ . Then again, it’s not nearly as unusual as a _passion fiend_ making people obsessed with each other before stealing their will to live. Also, there have been much weirder things he’s dealt with since he started coming into contact with the supernatural. His life is like a big ball of crazy, now; but, hey, he’s used to it.

In a way, he’s glad that Benny is going to pose as his date, and he’s even glad that they have a monster they have to fight. He misses Benny, and this is an excuse to hang out with him. It’ll also keep them distracted so they don’t end up bringing up sore subjects. He wishes that things could just go back to the way they were before. He often considers apologizing to Benny, but then he starts to think that _Benny_ should be apologizing to _him_.

Ethan doesn’t even care that Benny told Sarah his secret, anymore, he just wants to know _why_. What were they talking about that Benny doesn’t want him to know? Why doesn’t Benny trust him, anymore?

But more than anything else, Ethan just wants to feel close to Benny, again. They’ve been best friends for as long as Ethan can remember, and he doesn’t like that Benny is keeping secrets from him. It’s not supposed to be so awkward between them. It’s like there’s a rift separating them, and Ethan doesn’t know how to cross it. It’s like a piece of Ethan is missing, and it’s right in front of him but still out of reach.

Ethan takes a deep breath. He realizes that he hasn’t exactly been a good enough friend for Benny to open up to, lately. ‘As soon as I can,’ he tells himself, ‘I’m going to confront him again. I’ll apologize for getting angry. I need to find a way to fix our friendship.’

* * *

 

When he meets up with Benny and Sarah, Ethan has to look twice.

“ _Benny?_ ” he blurts out, momentarily awestruck. Then he feels like an idiot. Benny looks down, embarrassed, biting his dark pink lips. Ethan swallows.

Benny is wearing a long, loose, emerald dress with long sleeves and a thick black belt snug around the waist. Since his clothes are tighter around the waist than everywhere else, it almost looks like he has an hourglass figure. The neckline of the dress is nearly flat, and it shows some of Benny’s shoulders. Around his neck is a black choker with a large, bright green gem dangling from it. Ethan’s also pretty sure that he’s wearing a stuffed bra, because, yeah, those look like boobs.

Benny’s not wearing a wig, but his hair is styled. You’d think that Benny’s face, at least, would throw off the femininity, but it doesn’t. Sarah must really know how to do makeup because he looks… _beautiful_. There’s no other word for it. His eyes are popping, but not in an obnoxious way. It almost looks natural. His lips look so plump, and his cheeks are cutely pink. Ethan realizes that he probably takes makeup for granted on girls.

Ethan quickly looks away when he realizes he’s been staring. ‘God, what are you thinking, Ethan?’ he scolds himself. ‘This is _Benny_! He’s not actually a girl, you know!’

Sarah smirks at him, and he gives her a nervous, questioning look. She just laughs.

“Woah, _Betty_?” Rory says, suddenly appearing. “What are you doing here?” He pauses. “And where’s Benny?”

Ethan snickers under his breath.

“I _am_ Benny,” Benny says.

Rory sputters. “ _Seriously_?”

“Yep,” Benny says proudly. He meets Ethan’s eyes and Ethan’s eyes widen. He totally noticed Ethan checking him out, didn’t he? But then Benny averts his eyes again, his cheeks becoming an even darker pink.

“Alright,” Sarah says, linking her arm with Rory’s. “Are we all ready?”

Ethan pats his pockets, where he’s hiding two small water guns. “I’m ready.”

“I think so,” Rory says.

“Alright, let’s freeze some cupid!” Benny says, rubbing his manicured hands together.

* * *

 

When they get to the place where the party is being hosted, Benny’s jaw drops. He didn’t realize there was such a big mansion in this town; although to be fair, he hasn’t spent a lot of time in the rich part of town.

“You guys need to start looking like a couple,” Sarah tells Benny and Ethan, and Benny’s heart thumps harder as Ethan laces their fingers together and gets so close to Benny that their shoulders are almost touching.

“Just to double check, we’re looking for a sort of… cherub, right?” Benny says, and he feels pretty accomplished for not stuttering when he’s touching Ethan like this.

“Yeah,” Ethan says. “In my vision, I saw this floating little kid with wings and a pink toga. And, of course, a blowgun.”

Benny chuckles at the thought. Well, aside from there being blow darts instead of heart-tipped arrows, this fiend is just like people think Cupid is.

“Let’s split up,” Sarah says.

“Good idea,” Ethan says. “Also, remember not to eat or drink anything. And watch out for darts.”

‘What would I do without Ethan?’ Benny wonders. ‘What would any of us do?’ He subconsciously squeezes Ethan’s hand a little. Ethan looks at Benny questioningly, and Benny blushes and loosens his grip a little bit. Then, surprisingly, Ethan squeezes back for a second.

Benny’s heart leaps in his chest. He can’t help but laugh a little. “Alright, let’s freeze some fiend,” he says with a small grin.

“You said that, already,” Sarah says.

Benny sighs and rolls his eyes. He decides not to point out that last time he said “Cupid,” not “fiend,” and that this time it almost rhymes which makes it even cooler than before. But he decides not to embarrass her.

“Also, let’s not go announcing that anymore, in case it, you know, hears us?” Ethan says.

Benny throws his head back and groans, “Ugh, fine.”

Ethan bumps their shoulders. “You can say all the catchphrases you want once we’ve defeated it.”

Benny’s heart flutters in his chest. He simply nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love input! And, again, if anyone has any Benthan requests, I'll write it. Thanks, folks!


	8. Let's Freeze Some Fiend - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your support :)
> 
> Hey, check out my cool new blog! There's not too much to it, so far, but I got my own URL which is pretty cool. flaricaff.com

The group splits up, as planned. Now Ethan’s walking around alone with Benny. They’ve been best friends forever, so it shouldn’t feel so awkward. Ethan decides to focus on the task at hand: find the passion fiend. But Benny keeps on looking at Ethan like he wants to say something, only to look away whenever Ethan looks back at him. A few minutes in, Ethan can’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan says.

Benny looks oddly surprised. “For what?”

Ethan sighs. “For blowing up at you, for avoiding you… for everything. I was just, I was really hurt. I didn’t like that you were keeping secrets from me. Then you talked to  _ Sarah _ about it and not me, and-” Crap, now it sounds like he’s blaming Benny. Ethan swallows. Before he can say more, Benny speaks up.

“I’m sorry, too,” Benny says earnestly. Then, he sadly adds, “But I… I have no excuse…”

“You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not comfortable talking about. I won’t force you,” Ethan says. “But I want us to be okay… Are we okay?”

Benny nods, smiling softly. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

Ethan smiles, feelings a weight lifted off his shoulders.

They continue to look around in silence. There are lots of couples who are completely absorbed in each other, but there’s no sign of the passion fiend. Just how big is this mansion, anyway?

“We’re never going to find it by just wondering around,” Ethan says. “We need a better plan.”

Benny suddenly halts in his steps. “How about we make the  _ fiend _ come to  _ us _ ?” he suggests with a smirk.

“How exactly are we going to do that? Besides, unless we take it by surprise, it’ll shoot us with its darts and make us go all crazy for each other.”

Benny snickers, almost like he has some sort of secret. But of course he does… When he catches Ethan frowning at him, he assures, “Don’t worry, E. Just trust me: the darts won’t work on me.”

Ethan blinks. “What do you mean? Did your grandma give you something?”

Benny sighs, frowning slightly. “Not exactly. I’ll explain it to you, later, I promise,”

Ethan swallows back his protests. Instead, he tries to keep his mind on task. ‘How can we draw out the passion fiend?’ he asks himself. Before he can come up with a solution, Benny unclasps their hands and puts some distance between them.

“Wow,” Benny yells. “Isn’t this gross! Romance is everywhere,  _ ugh _ . I am very  _ unpassionate _ about romance!”

Ethan chuckles. Leave it to Benny to come up with a plan to draw attention. “Yeah!” Ethan agrees loudly. “Kissing is gross! And this food doesn’t even look edible! I’m not even going to try it!”

“Me either!” Benny says. “And I am very, very  _ not in love  _ with anyone, right now!”

Ethan wonders, dimly, if that’s true or not. It’s said in such an obnoxious tone that it sounds like a lie. Then again, all of this does.

“Yeah! Love stinks!” Ethan shouts. Then, suddenly, it feels like there’s a needle in his shoulder. He turns around and sees the flamme de fiend, only it looks older now. It’s like a grown man with large muscles and a too-small, pink toga. “Benny!” Ethan shouts, pulling out the water guns from out of his pockets.

“I’m on it!” Benny says.

Ethan feels a heat rush through him, and his brain feels hazy. ‘... What am I doing, again?’ he wonders mentally.

It looks like there’s a sort of pink ray coming out of… Cupid’s(?) hands. It’s kind of pretty. He looks around until his eyes land on Benny. But  _ Benny _ . Benny is even more pretty. Ethan feels giddy, looking at him. He’s spraying water at Cupid, for some reason. He looks pretty badass. Ethan bets he’s winning this water fight.

“Ethan!” Benny calls out. “Shoot him with water!”

Ethan hesitates, thinking he’d rather just glomp Benny, or perhaps just stare at him more - oh! Look at those lips! Ethan’s never really kissed anyone before, and he wants his first real kiss to be with those big, beautiful lips. But a small voice in his head tells him that he really should shoot water at the Cupid. ‘Isn’t he, like… evil or something?’ Ethan thinks.

Ethan decides that, at the very least, doing what Benny says will make Benny like him more. Then, after they finish getting Cupid soaking wet, he’s going to kiss Benny. It’ll be  _ so amazing _ … Or maybe he should just kiss him now?

Benny is saying something in another language.

“Damn tied soul threads!” Cupid screams, glaring at Benny. “But yours is only tied on one side! I can still overpower you, little boy!”

‘Soul threads?’ Ethan wonders. He remembers Benny’s bracelet that was supposed to reveal his soulmate. Wouldn’t it be awesome if  _ Ethan  _ was his soulmate? He giggles at the thought.

“Not going to happen!” Benny say _ s. _ “ _ Rigescunt indutae! _ ” Blue light streams out of Benny’s hands, and a thin layer of ice forms around Cupid, only to break. Cupid retaliates by shooting rays of red light at Benny, and Benny shrinks and tenses like he’s hurting.

Then, somehow, the fog in Ethan’s mind clears. The giddy infatuation he had for Benny morphs into a more solid emotion: concern. It’s no longer the desire to possess: now it’s the need to  _ protect _ . Benny isn’t a prize or a drug. Benny is a person, and he’s Ethan’s best friend. Ethan cares for Benny more than he cares for himself.

Ethan finally starts shooting at Cupid, wetting him all that he can. Benny looks at him for a second and smiles. Then Benny turns back to the passion fiend and screams those words again.  “ _ Rigescunt indutae! _ ”

With that, the passion fiend freezes solid. He turns completely into ice before crumbling a few outer layers at a time, each layer in the shape of a younger, less muscular cupid. After he turns into baby-shaped ice, he shatters completely into tiny glass-like shards.

Ethan feels faint. He sways on his feet before collapsing to the ground. He hears his name like it’s coming from far away, but he’s too tired to respond. He closes his eyes and passes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of this fanfiction! Also, I may not be able to finish the next chapter by tomorrow, but I'll have it up as soon as I can. Either this next one (9) or one more after that (10) will be the last chapter. Thanks again for your support!
> 
> Again, I recommend that you check out my blog. flaricaff.com :)


	9. Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the chapter finished just at the end of the day, haha. This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Ethan blinks open his eyes. Everything that happened before he passed out washes over him. He feels his face heat up when he remembers how badly he wanted to kiss Benny. He reminds himself that it was just because of the dart, but he also remembers thinking that Benny would make a very attractive girl.

Ethan sighs and sits up slowly. He’s in Benny’s bed, and Benny is playing a computer game across the room. Benny looks over at him, probably having heard Ethan sigh, and pauses his game. He looks relieved.

“E! How are you feeling?” Benny asks, sitting on the bed beside him.

Ethan shrugs. “Tired, but fine.” He offers Benny a small smile which Benny returns. “How long have I been out?” Ethan asks.

“About two hours,” Benny says.

Ethan nods. “So, is everyone back to normal now?”

“I think so. Everyone under the flamme de fende’s influence passed out after I killed it, but those who are awake seem to be fine, now.”

“So…” Ethan begins before hesitating. He’s afraid that Benny might just avoid answering if he asks this. But then he remembers that Benny promised to explain later. “Why didn’t the venom affect you? The passion fiend said something about a tied soul thread? Is it that bracelet? Is it tied in a certain way, or..?”

Benny laughs, first with humor and then with nervousness. “A soul thread isn’t a bracelet. It’s an invisible thread that connects us to our soulmates. He said that one end of my soul thread was tied because…” Benny swallows before letting out a shaky sigh. “Because I fell in love with my soulmate. The venom didn’t work on me because a tied soul thread is stronger than any magic that supposedly makes people fall in love because magic can’t make you  _really_ love someone. Real love has to happen naturally.”

Ethan processes that for a second. “Is Sarah…?”

Benny groans loudly, throwing his head back. “Why is everything _Sarah_ with you?”

Ethan cringes slightly in embarrassment. “Sorry, I just… That’s the only thing that makes sense to me, with you telling her and not me, and also with you telling her about my… Anyway, sorry. Just… So, who is it?”

Benny stares at Ethan thoughtfully, biting his lip. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before walking over to the side of the bed. Ethan eyes him, curious and confused, until Benny reaches under the mattress and pulls something out from under it.

Benny holds out something to Ethan, and Ethan recognizes it as the bracelet with the soulmate stone on it. But, wait, wasn’t it red? Does it stay a different color once Benny touches his soulmate? If so, why would it go from red to such a dull color?

Then an idea pops into Ethan’s head, one that has been itching in the back of his head for a while but he’s refused to acknowledge. ‘What if Benny’s soulmate is _me_? But, no that’s not possible, but what if it is? What if that explains everything?’

As Ethan ponders that, Benny touches Ethan’s hand with the hand that isn’t presenting the stone. Before Ethan’s eyes, the stone turns red.

A swirl of emotions washes over Ethan. His body feels hot, and his heart feels light and tense at the same time. It reminds him of when he was poisoned with passion fiend venom, only it feels a lot more sincere and  _real_. He’s not sure if he wants to laugh or cry, and he’s not sure if the crying would be from happiness or overwhelming confusion. But Ethan’s not sure why he’s so confused. The answer was staring him in the face the whole time. Maybe it’s just so  _new,_ and he simply needs time to get used to it.

Benny is watching him, and he looks almost as nervous as Ethan feels. There are no words between them, but it’s not an awkward silence. It’s almost electrifying, actually, with Benny’s eyes boring into Ethan’s very soul. Ethan licks his lips unconsciously, and then he can’t help but glance down at Benny’s lips. ‘This is a very bad idea… but…’

While Ethan’s trying to think up what he’s supposed to do now, only to have his thoughts fogged up with the potent fumes of endorphins and hormones, Benny leans forward. Suddenly he’s very close, and Ethan closes his eyes reflexively.

 _Oh_. Benny is kissing him. Ethan gives up hope on trying to form coherent thoughts. He doesn’t think about what’s happening or why or what it means: he just kisses back. He may never have had a real kiss before, but his lips seem to know what to do.

His body moves on instinct, only fueled by the desire to be closer to Benny, to _feel_ him. He wraps his arms around Benny’s neck, drawing him close. Their chests press flush against each other and it’s so _hot_ , and shivers run through Ethan’s body.

But, alas, all things must come to an end. Although Ethan doesn’t want to stop, what’s left of his sense of reason tells him that if he doesn’t stop now then there will be no stopping until he does something he’ll regret rushing into.

Ethan pulls back, and Benny follows his example. They’re both panting. Ethan still feels hot and tingly as well as an ache to finish what they started.

He forces himself to look away from Benny. His gaze lands on the bedroom window. He walks to in and opens it. The cool, fresh air clears his mind some, but it’s still a jumbled mess. He wants to say something, but he can’t think of anything to say.

Ethan swallows. He thinks of how not all of that saliva is his, and it’s not an unpleasant thought. His mouth still tastes strongly of Benny… Oddly enough, Benny tastes a lot like he smells. It’s not a bad smell at all, it’s just _his_ smell, although Ethan’s not really sure what that smell really is or why it seems so unique to Benny.

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Benny blurts out. Ethan realizes the silence was probably killing him.

Ethan takes a deep breath. _Does he_? This is all so new to him. He never thought he’d end up in this situation. He’s still not entirely sure if he likes Benny as more than a friend. Sure, kissing him was _amazing_ , but it’s not like Ethan has other kisses to compare it to.

Part of him wonders if their friendship would be damaged all over again if he rejected Benny. It’s not that he thinks he wants to, but he wonders if it would even be an option. Then it really hits him that Benny basically told Ethan that he was in love with him and that the two of them are literally _soul mates_. Is he prepared for that intimate of a relationship? Honestly, he wasn’t just afraid of confessing to Sarah because he might get rejected: he also was scared that if they started dating, Ethan would somehow mess up royally and their friendship would blow up like a bomb. He couldn’t risk that with Benny, either. But really, what option did that leave him?

Benny can probably tell how conflicted Ethan feels, because he says, “Y-you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean, _I_ want to, but I also want _you_ to want to… um, be with me. Like, dating and stuff…”

Ethan’s heart warms and his lips smile at Benny’s adorable rambling. He thinks of how wonderful it might be to see more of this side of Benny. Maybe he should give it a chance…

Ethan realizes that he’s been unusually quiet as he’s been thinking, which is probably why Benny is a nervous wreck. He remembers what a mess came out of Benny keeping secrets, and Ethan decides to be completely honest.

“I…” Ethan’s words die before they form. But even if he wants to be honest, what is the truth? Should he say that he needs more time to think? Should he just say he doesn’t know? But _doesn’t_ he know? He knows he liked it, but he-

Ethan whimpers. “If you hadn’t sprung all this at me at once, telling me that _I’ve_ been your freaking soulmate all this time and then kissing me with your soft - wet - hot - _amazing_ lips then maybe I’d be able to think clearly! And, damn it, B, you don’t realize how _gorgeous_ you are! I know you aren’t wearing that dress anymore, but are you at least wearing makeup because you look more beautiful than any girl I know, right know, which is _so_ not fair because you still look like _you_ , a _guy_. But that doesn’t even matter, what matters is that all this time you’ve been standing beside me, completely perfect for me, and I was focusing on _Sarah_ when she’s _nothing_ compared to you.” Ethan notices that Benny is gaping at him. “Don’t tell her I said that,” Ethan adds, embarrassed.

It’s silent for a moment as Benny processes what Ethan just said before Benny’s face splits into a grin. “Is that a yes?”

Ethan swallows. He didn’t know the answer until this very moment, but now it’s clear to him. He nods. “Yes.”

Benny walks up to Ethan and puts his hands on Ethan’s hips. He touches their foreheads together, and Ethan closes his eyes, feeling somewhat peaceful now.

“I love you, Ethan,” Benny murmurs.

Ethan breathes in Benny’s scent before caressing either side of Benny’s head with his hands. Ethan tilts their heads and their lips touch. This time, the kiss is sweet and chaste. No more words are needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, and thanks again to everyone who has supported me throughout my writing this! If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have had the motivation to post a whole chapter every day. I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> By the way, come check out my blog "flaricaff.com"! If you already have, you might want to check it out again because I've made some major changes. You won't regret it, I promise! :)

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? I love input! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


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